Christian Louboutin says a pump is like "the bone structure of the face".
The designer is famed for his stunning array of red-soled footwear, which range from the classic shoe to more elaborate designs.
Christian favours his more simple pieces however, and says the traditional pump is the most flattering on a woman's foot.
"A good pump is a silhouette, like the bone structure of the face," he explained at a V&A talk, hosted by Natalie Massenet. "It's like a beautiful face with no make-up. You can cover a not-so-beautiful face with make-up, but it is just a mask - it is the same with shoes."
Christian - who is celebrating his 20th anniversary in fashion this year - also explained the idea behind toe cleavage.
The star says although it doesn't sound appealing, the cut of the shoe is very complimentary.
"It makes the leg look longer," he said.
"It was something I discovered when I worked with showgirls at the start of my career -they always had shoes cut in that way. They wanted to be able to dance and to look like they had really long legs. If you have a low décolleté it opens the leg window."
Christian had a liberal childhood. He cites his late mother as the reason he is so creative.
"She was so kind and she gave me so much freedom," he said.
"When I was 12 or 13 I started going to clubs in Paris. When I brought people home - which I often did - she would give up her bed for me because it was bigger."
